“Joy In Heaven Over One Sinner”
Now all the tax collectors and sinners
were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were
grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So he told them this parable: “Which
one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the
ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one this is lost until he finds
it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he
comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them,
‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell
you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over
ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
“Or what woman having ten silver
coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and
search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together
her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin
that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Many Christians don’t believe that
witnessing to one individual means a lot. Just remember that Jesus was never
too busy to deal with one person at a time. It is true that Jesus preached to
five thousand people at a time, but He never lost sight of the value of just
one soul.
If you are ever tempted to minimize
the value of your person, individual witness to a single soul, remember the
example of Jesus. The Bible tells us there is joy in heaven over one sinner who
repents. Never, ever underestimate the value of a single soul.
Our Daily
Bread – November 1, 2005